Charcoal burner



July 2, 1946-' w. B. sTEPHENsoN 2,403,134

CHARCOAL BURNER Filed June 13, 1942 Patented July 2,1946

Application June 13,

The main objects of this invention are to provide a compact, eiilcient, and conveniently portable charcoal burner; to1 provide an improved grate lstructure; to'provide a conveniently attach`ed receptacle for carrying fuel-igniting material; to provide means for preventing reected illumination; and to provide van improved vcarry.- ing handle.

In the particular embodiment of this invention shown in the accompanying drawing:

v Figure 1 is a perspective view of the burner with grille in position, cover open, and the handle i in its non-heating position.

the burner comprises a casing 5, a fuel grate 6,

a cover 1, a grille 8, a fuel-igniting material re-A ceptacle 9, and a carrying handle I0.

The casing is a sheet metal formation, of rectangular shape in this particular embodiment, supported of! the ground by means of legs Il. At one end of the casing below the grate 5 is arranged a draft opening I2 with a suitable vertically-slidable draft regulator i3. This regulator is held in place by means of angle strips Il. At the opposite end of the casing, likewise below the grate, is a breather port 15. At opposite sides of the casing near the top are series of draft ports 'Il and l1. r

In order to ycompletely prevent any reflected illumination, the breather port Il iscovered with a shield la and the draft-port series I6 and l1 are likewise covered with shields I9 and 20, respectively.

One o! the most important and novel features of this invention is the grate structure 6. In order to make a heater of this kind practical, it is important that the grate be arranged to perform a three-fold purpose: (1),to receive a substantial charge of charcoal; (2) to confine combustion to a limited area; and (3) to allow Afresh vfuel to automatically shift toward the areaof' combustion as it is needed to replace that which is consumed. To that end the grate 6 is .arranged transversely of the casing 5 with the two ends iri-y clined downwardly toward the combustion area. In this particular embodiment the combustion area is provided for by a depression in the central ,z

' 10mm; (ci. 12s- 29) I l 1942, Serial N01 446,897

section of the grate which forms the bowl 2`I. This grate is a pressed-metal structure with .flanged sides which permit ready attachment to 'the sides. of the casing 5, preferablyby welding.

5 The bowl 2| has a series ofperforations 22, which allow for the flow of air essential to combustion.

In the structure illustrated, these apertures are extended into the portions ofthe inclined sections immediately contiguous to the bowl 2|.

The Acover 1, preferablyflangedis hinged at 23 along one side of the casing 5 and formed to t rather snugly over the top of the casing. A latch 24, hinged to the front of the cover and lcontaining a suitable aperture to receive the pin 25, permits a temporary locking'of the cover in place. The cover is 4held in an angularly open position with respect to the casing 5 by means of its resting engagement against the handle l0.

The grille 8 is an optional part of the heater.

20 Support for the grille is obtained by means of lugs 2B secured on the innervsides of the casing S'near the top. These lugs are positioned so that the grille is supported approximately iiush with the top edge of the casing and may be retained within the casing whenv the ,cover 1 is in its closed .po-

sition. l

vIn order that a device of thikind may be used under all possible conditions of weather and 1ocation, it is imperative that materia1 for igniting the charcoal always be readily at hand. That imperative need is met in this invention by the provision of the' cup or receptacle 9 detachably secured to the casing 5 preferably on the underside and removed as far as possible from the grate 6. In the particular form herein shown, this receptacle is cylindrical and comprises a detachable cover 21 and is held in removable position by 4'a conventional bolt and nut 28. t

A receptacle of this type and manner of at- 4o tahment provides a safe and convenient storage for oil soaked rags or waste as a means for kindling the charcoal on the grate l.A .y

'I'his arrangement of kindling means is extremely important, especially when the heater is in use in excessively wet sections ofthe country,

or where the user is in areas providing no other kind .of kindling. Moreover,A the' use of this kindling means eliminates the possibility of smoke which, along with. the concealing of reflected light, is quite imperative where the heater is being used vfor outpost duty in military activities.

v In order to make the heater readilyv portable,

it is of course necessary to provide the handle I 0.

. To insure the possibility of always being able to use this handle to transport the heater when in 3 use, it is necessary that the handle be held free of contact with the heated casing. On the other I g hand, it is important to have the handle brought integral Wrist pins 3| ofthehandle I0. These apertures are so positioned in the supports that the wrist-pin lugs 32 engage the bottom forward edges of the supports 30 when the'handle ID is swung rearwardly, thus holding the handle free of the casing 5 as shown' in the drawing. The positioning of these apertures in the handle supports 30 and the length of the lugs 32 are such that, when the handle I is swung to the forward l side of the casing 5, the lugs will clear the opposite or rear lower edges of the supports 30 and allow the handle to rest againstthe side of the casing.

' l In operation, a charge of charcoal is placed on the grate 6 and arranged so that only a portion fof the fuel lodges in the combustion bowl 2 I. The

bulk ofthe vfue1 is distributed over the inclined ends of the. grate 6. The receptacle 9 vis then removed from its position and a strip of'oil-saturatedrag orwaste is removed and the receptacle replaced in position, vThe piece of oil-saturated rag or waste is inserted through the draft opening I2 and placed contiguous to the combustion bowl 2 I After being ignited by a match or .other e convenient means, this pieceof oil-soaked rag 1 l or Waste will,'in the course of two or three minutes, ignite the chcarcoal.

By virtue of the positioningof the apertures 22 thecombustion will be confined more or less to the bowl section 2l of the grate 6. As the charcoal is consumed at this point, the unburned fuel I A lresting on the inclined portions of the grate 6 will gradually gravitate toward the combustion bow1 and continue the combustion until the last piece of charcoal has been consumed. The speed.

-said casing of burning, and therefore the intensity of the heat, can be regulated by adjusting the draft regulator I3.

When the heater is in use, the cover 'I may be opened as shown in Fig. 1, 'either to permit the use ofthe grille 8 or to receive the larger benefit of'direct heat. For other cooking purposes, or when it is necessary to prevent all possibility of reflected light, the cover 'I may be closed as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In allcases when in use, the

handle would be held by lugs 32 and the supports 3B in the position shown in the drawing.

The drawing herein shows a specic embodiment of this invention on the basis` of this description. However, it Will be understood that.

details yof this construction may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined V:by the following claim.

I claim as my invention: A A portable charcoal burner comprising', in combination, an elongated generally rectangular sheet metal casing, a sheet metal grate member extending from oneend of the casing tov the other and from side to side and' being supported on said casing along opposite side edges, said member dividing 'the interior of into a combustion space over said grate and an ashpi't below said grate,

t a combustion bowl in said grate member formed by a depression of generally spherical contour located substantially at the center of Ithe member, v said depression' being substantially coextensive with the width of the casing, combustion air apertures in thel depressed portion of the grate member and in the end portions of the member contiguous thereto, the parts of said end portions remote from said depression being free of aper tures and providing storage space for reserve fuel,l said end portions sloping from the ends of'said casing toward the combustion bowl whereby to provide a preheating zone forpreparing the reserve fuel for combustion, the outer Walls "of said casing-above and below said grate .being formedV with draft openings.

WILLIAM-B. STEPHENSON. 

